Escape
by SingleDarkShade
Summary: "You called your dog, Tempus?"


Author's Note: Written for Rip Week 2019 For Day 6: Rip lives! – Rip survived overloading the time drive but how and where is he now?  
Enjoy

* * *

The puppy ran after the ball with an enthusiasm only puppies had for these types of games, grabbing the ball while skidding on the grass the chestnut brown dog then bounded back to the man standing there waiting.

"Good girl," he crouched and gently took the ball out his puppy's mouth, scratching her head affectionately as she looked up at him with liquid brown eyes, "That's a good girl, Tempus."

"You called your dog, Tempus," a familiar voice made him turn to find a tall blonde woman standing just a few feet away.

Tossing the ball again for the excited puppy, he asked, "What are you doing here, Ava?"

"What am I doing here?" Ava Sharpe demanded incredulously, "I've been worried about you, Rip."

Rip Hunter let out a slight snort of derision, "Of course you have."

Annoyance covered her face and she folded her arms, "You were in a coma for six months after using the Time Core against Mallus and then three days after you woke up, you disappeared. I still don't know how you did it especially since Doctor Adams insists that you shouldn't have been strong enough to even get out of bed never mind walk out of the building."

He shrugged, crouching to pick up the puppy barrelling towards him, smiling slightly as she licked his face, before he started back to the house that he was currently staying in. He knew Ava was following him but didn't say anything or try to lose her.

There was no point.

x

Rip continued to pet the puppy in his arms as he walked aware of the woman in the awful blue suit following him. Bennett felt there should be a standard look to the Bureau agents and was backed by most of the board. Rip despised the suits, they reminded him too much of the Time Masters, the grey uniform that he'd had to wear for years and all the bad memories that came with it.

But Rip was ignored, it was something that had happened so often within the agency he created by people who had no idea what they were doing but believed they knew everything.

"I was very careful to disappear," Rip noted as he entered the backdoor to the house and into the kitchen, putting Tempus down who ran to her bowl of water, "How did you find me?"

Ava moved inside quickly in case he decided to close the door in her face and stood awkwardly in the corner next to the fridge, "It wasn't easy. I exhausted all the resources the Bureau has in order to try to track you down, so I went to my only other option."

Rip whipped round to her, anger in his eyes demanding, "You told them? I specifically said…"

"No," she cut him off quickly, "I didn't tell Sara or the Legends you're alive. Though you know they should know that. Instead I asked Gideon…"

"Gideon?" he snapped, "You told her?"

Rip glanced out the window as though expecting the Waverider to appear in the sky.

"Not exactly," Ava assured him, "Giving her the energy trace we had that you emit after your encounter with the core, I told her it was a signal one of our agents had sent but we were having problems locating him. She was a little dismissive but gave me your location."

He gave a small sigh of relief, before he started to fix Tempus her lunch.

"Well, you've found me, and saw that I'm perfectly fine," Rip said, before turning to her, "You can leave now."

Ava stood silently for a moment before saying, "You could come back with me?"

Rip glanced at her before turning away again, "Why on earth would I do that?"

"Because there's a lot of work to do," Ava replied softly, "There are people who could learn from you. You have so much experience, I know I could use some guidance."

Banging Tempus' food bowl on the ground Rip let out a sardonic laugh, "Really? Now you could use my guidance," he stood and stared at her with dark eyes, "What changed, Ava? What made you realise that you 'need' me?"

"Rip."

He took a deep breath and turned away again, "I gave everything I had to the Time Bureau including my life. You get nothing else."

Ava sighed, "What are you going to do then?"

"Whatever I want," Rip replied, before shrugging, "Never had that option before."

"You created an entire organisation to protect time," Ava noted, "Wasn't that a choice?"

Rip shook his head, "I did that because I destroyed the Time Masters. I felt a responsibility."

"So why stay after Bennett died and I was made Director?" she pushed.

"I was partially responsible for the release of Mallus," Rip told her, "Despite what happened I needed to ensure he was stopped. Now, there is nothing left for me there."

She frowned, "There can be. You're hiding here, if you come back you might find something to believe in. Maybe even have a life which I know you didn't outside the Bureau."

"I had a life, Ava. I was very happily married to an incredible woman and we had a son," Rip told her quietly adding in a harsher voice, "Both of whom were murdered on the orders of the only father-figure I ever had."

"I didn't know," Ava whispered horrified.

He shrugged, "Of course you didn't. You don't know me, you don't know where I came from or what I lost. You don't know what I sacrificed to protect the timeline," Rip paused and took a breath, "And I don't care anymore. So, go back to the Bureau. It's yours now. I don't want it or any part of it."

Silence filled the room before Ava spoke up again, "I found the recording I made."

"What recording?"

"The one from before my memories were changed explaining why you altered them," she explained before asking, "Why not just give me it?"

Rip shrugged, "You weren't ready to see it. And you now knowing that information, it's not a reason for me to go back."

She let out a sigh before nodding, "Now I know where you are, I am going to check up on you."

"It's your choice," Rip replied coldly, not turning as he heard the portal open and Ava leave him alone once more.

x

Rip sat with music playing softly in the background while he drank his tea, Tempus bounded through into the small lounge and leaped onto his lap. Smiling slightly, Rip stroked the puppy who leaned into the affectionate petting. He hadn't meant to get a pet of any kind but his neighbour, in the flat he'd been staying a few months before, had a dog who'd just had a litter of puppies. Tempus was the runt of the litter, a scrap of fur who kept getting pushed out of the way by all her siblings. Feeling an instantaneous connection with her, Rip had adopted the puppy.

"Gideon, was there a reason you decided to ignore my orders and tell Ava where I was?" Rip activated the link, as he sipped his tea.

"She was extremely insistent," Gideon replied, "I thought that it would be the best idea to allow her to find you. Let her to see you are well then she would leave you alone," there was a short pause before Gideon added, "Or possibly would have persuaded you to return."

Rip grimaced, "You know why I'm not coming back. Not just now anyway."

"I do," she said, "But I miss you, Rip."

"I'm still here," he reminded her, "We talk."

"It is not the same as having you onboard where I can keep a proper eye on you," Gideon told him, making him chuckle before she asked, "You are moving on tomorrow?"

"Yes," Rip replied softly, "I'll let you know where I am once I'm settled and if I need anything. Tell Ava once she realises that I've left that the signal is now gone, and you can no longer trace it for her."

Gideon was silent for a moment before she replied, "Of course, Captain."

Rip sighed, "It'll be easier this way. I always worked best alone," he smiled and quickly added, "In the field of course."

"Of course, Captain," Gideon replied, an edge of amusement colouring her voice.

Taking a long drink of his tea, Rip whispered, "I'll come home one day. I promise."

"And I will be here for you."

"You always are."


End file.
